Each year the Environmental Working Group (EWG), update a list of the worst offenders of pesticide residue in food known as the “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean 15″ which are the foods lowest in pesticide residue. The top of the lists stays much the same most years and it’s good to remember which is which as we eat day by day. This is especially true for anyone eating large amounts of fruits and vegetables on a raw vegan diet. We have just posted this year’s lists of foods with the most and least pesticide residue here.

Very few people eat all of their food raw. Even leaders in the raw food movement are now admitting that they are not eating 100% raw all the time. Many people eat all raw for extended periods, but not all of the time. It is especially difficult to eat all raw in the colder climates and in the winter. Warm food psychologically feels good when the weather is cold, that’s why you find more raw foodists in the warmer climates. There are a lot of different ideas on this and you have to make up your own mind. We’ve put our idea on this in an article called Is Eating 100% Raw A Good Diet.

Everyday, more and more of our food ingredients contain genetically modified organisms (GMO). The list is always growing and it can be overwhelming trying to keep up with it.

Currently, 93% of our soybean crop and 86% of our corn is now genetically modified. Other major crops affected are canola and cottonseed oil at 93% and sugar beets, which are predominately used in the production of sucrose, is at a whopping 95%. Even something like Hawaiian Papaya is now 80% genetically modified. [Read more…]

Have you ever wondered, “What exactly is a green smoothie and why do I want to drink them?”

The short answer is that they are fruit smoothies with leafy greens added and they are good for you, but we have an article that goes into much more detail to fully understand what are the best combinations of greens to use, including what is the easiest and tastiest green smoothie recipe, . You can find it all in our article, Green Smoothies – Good or Bad?

One of the most common questions we hear asked is what is the difference between being a vegetarian and being a vegan. They have a lot of similarities, the first is that neither of them eats animal meat, but after that there are a lot of variables. There are several different ways to eat as a vegetarian, such as dairy or no dairy, and being vegan can be different as well. We did an article that will hopefully straighten it all out for you. Click here to see the difference between vegan and vegetarian.

Juicing gives a delicious, handy approach to take in the encouraged servings of fruits and vegetables daily. By juicing a variety of fruits and vegetables of your own choosing, you convert them right into a source of nourishment-unique beverage.

In the following tips, you’ll get a few recommendations that will help you get the most out of juicing. [Read more…]

We Just posted a new article and video on The China Study book by T. Colin Campbell PhD. The book chronicles the dietary practices of thousands of people in China over a 20 year period. The study was conducted by the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Cornell University, and the University of Oxford and Dr. Campbell was one of the project’s original directors. He wrote the book in 2005, and as of January 2012 it has sold over 500,000 copies, making it one of America’s best-selling books about nutrition. If you haven’t yet heard of it, Click Here to check it out.

Water is a vital and often overlooked ingredient for good health. A healthy adult is normally considered to need six ti eight 8-oz glasses of pure water a day to avoid problems like fuzzy thinking, headaches, and general fatigue. Your bodies water needs are greatly helped by eating a diet high in raw fruits and vegetables because of their high fiber and moister content.

The dangers of dehydration to your health are real and it is all too common today with the highly processed, high sodium, fast food diet that many people eat today. What are the water needs on a raw vegan diet? Read more on dehydration dangers here.